A Time Line of the Campaign for U.S. Ratification of Disability Treaty (CRPD)

Confused about what has been happening with the campaign for U.S. ratification of the “Disability Treaty” (called, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD)? This post starts with a brief background on what the CRPD (“Disability Treaty”) is. Then it provides a rough timeline of events in the movement for U.S. ratification of the CRPD.

The CRPD is an international treaty—an agreement among nations that sign and ratify it. Countries that ratify the CRPD agree to provide people with disabilities the same rights and opportunities that other people have. The CRPD was partly inspired by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It promotes equality, non-discrimination, and the inclusion of people with disabilities in the mainstream of society. As of July 2014, 147 countries have ratified the CRPD–but the U.S. has not yet joined them.